Gentle Memento
by aLc
Summary: Time bounces foward but we all find memento's to help us remember...[S1xH,S2xT,KxA]
1. A Time to Think

Ok here is my attempt at handling multiple relationships throughout a somewhat jumpy time line. A few of the relationships will seem odd, but I feel up to the challenge of making them work out in a good way and hopefully I will succeed. Or maybe ill fail and you'll all hate me horribly for defacing your favorite character ^^; Oh well…  
  
Disclaimer: This is going to be the only one, no I don't own Naruto…  
  
*~*  
  
Gentle Memento  
  
Chapter 1  
  
A Time to Think   
  
*~*  
  
The sky seemed to have been crying softly for quite awhile seemingly aware of the terrible disaster that had befallen the once proud village of Konoha for months now.   
  
A solitary figure stood atop a small hill facing the surrounding forest in an apparent state of calmness. Aburame Shino stood on the outskirts of the village watching the gentle mist roll through the dense forest with hidden amusement. He could already hear the melodious chirping of the crickets get a bit more frantic as the phantom mist flowed easily through the trees. It was moments like this that he could get lost, moments where he could relax as if he had not a care in the world.  
  
Lifting his head toward the sky, he gave his glasses a gentle nudge up his nose as he let the rainfall gently upon his face.   
  
Loneliness…   
  
This trait could be found amongst nearly all nine of the selected Genin for the Chuunin exam. Of course he had been the only one to realize it, but then again he was probably the only one looking for such distress amongst his friends and comrades. He even found such a bothersome thing to plague him from time to time. But Shino had long ago learned how to settle his emotions before they over came him.  
  
A sad smile braced his features, hidden by the large brim of his coat. Yes, he had definitely learned long ago never to let his emotions get the best of him. The blessing of the Aburame house had made sure he understood that such things could get him killed by the very beings that found their home in his body.  
  
The destruction bugs...  
  
Ah yes, the powerful insects of the Aburame clan. Those, which feed off their host's own chakara. In turn they offer their unwavering service to the person infested. And from the very beginning they become honed into everything their vessel thinks, and feels. If their owner is happy, they are blessed with a feeling of contentment. But with anger...with rage, they become severely agitated and soon try to find and remove the source of their discomfort.  
  
This would be a very useful thing in battle, if it were not for the fact that they ALL try to flood out at the same time!  
  
Needless to say, the skin and muscles of the outlets throughout the body can only take so much strain before rupturing thusly ripping the body apart. Strict meditation is enforced from the time the destruction bugs are received in order to keep such a thing from happening. In the end, those of the Aburame clan become soft-spoken loners from day one. A prestigious house, but not as powerful as those of the noble Hyuga or the tragic Uchiha. Daily routines follow a strict meditation session followed by strenuous jitsu training. Social interaction is to be held at a minimum because of the unnecessary emotions that can stem from too many outside thoughts. As well as the unspoken fact that many of the villagers, and shinobi alike find them unnerving, freaks of society.  
  
His brows furrowed at the discomforting thought. Yes indeed they were freaks in the eyes of others. People who let bugs live inside of them must be horrible monstrosities right? He snorted at the grim reminder of the idiotic people of the world.   
  
'So insects are not among the most huggable of creatures in the world. But to call upon them in battle is no worse or different than the summoning-no-jutsu done by countless others. Maybe if we had puppies living inside of us people would think differently...'  
  
Taking a deep breath, he unconsciously lifted a hand to raise his glasses. Done in an attempt to hide his problems and discomfort (lest it shows on his face). 'Here I come for comfort and yet I drive myself into a painful corner.' He finally lowered his head. He could feel the destruction bugs teeming with what could only be deemed as restlessness as his train of thoughts ended on a sour note.  
  
"Shino?" came an all to familiar and gentle voice.  
  
Raising a hand to realign his shades again, he answered in his normal calm, dark voice, "Hello Hinata."   
  
He must have been too deep in thought to even notice her arrival. Sighing mentally at yet another reminder of why emotions were bad he turned his head slightly to see her out of the corner of his eye.   
  
He noticed she wore her normal hooded peach sweater as well as her blue high waters. A genuine smile crossed his features at her subtle way of hiding her feminine-ness. Of course he noticed it like he noticed nearly everything else people tried to hide.  
  
  
  
She has always been the shy, and timid one. The one with a sever lack in self-confidence. He imagined the only thing that made her stand out of place was her now nearly obvious crush on the rambunctious blonde shinobi, Naruto. Perhaps she sees in him a way to help her get over her spirit crushing child-hood by trying to understand how he has so much confidence in himself when he was deemed a failure as well.  
  
"What brings you out here today?" he turned so that he could look her directly in the eyes.   
  
She smiled her normal small, sweet smile before speaking, "I was just on my way to go check on Naruto."   
  
He gave a simple nod in response to her answer. 'Of course it would be to see him, the only other reason she leaves her home is to come train with Kiba, Kurenai-sensei, and me.'  
  
"I heard his wounds are nearly completely healed." he shifted while in thought. 'Considering the extent of damage he took at the hand of Orochimaru's personal sound-nin he should have been dead. That Naruto has quite the will to live, the reasons why must be of such great importance to him. To be able to rise from being the underdog time and time again...'  
  
Hinata nodded in complete happiness, "Yes, he's doing much better. He's even surprised the doctors at how fast he's recovering!" Her face darkened as she remembered how he was when the rest of the boys were brought in. "By all accounts he should have died Shino...they all should have." She quickly wiped her eyes at the horrific thought of such a loss. Even Shino had been worried over the state of his friends...well the closest people he could call friends. Chouji, Neji, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Naruto all returned from their suicide mission. They had failed to retake Sasuke, and for awhile Shino believed that their failure had hurt them more then their physical injuries...especially for Naruto.  
  
He remembered clearly the horrible lost look on Naruto's face as he told Sakura before he collapsed that he was sorry he failed. He watched as Sakura's very being was falling apart. There was such a haunted look in her normally cheerful eyes, as if all the light in her soul had suddenly escaped to hide itself in a dark corner so as not to have to feel the pain of such an incredible loss.  
  
Carefully Shino observed Hinata's face. She was lost in the memory of what had happened only two months ago as well. He hated to see her like this, hated to see her so sad.   
  
He remembered vividly his first visit to her at home; it had been enough to send him into a very deep meditation later that night. She had to put up with enough at her own home; at the very least she deserves some peace of mind out of it.   
  
Shino believed there was nothing special between them; no such "chemistry" that would lead to anything more then what Shino was perfectly comfortable with. She had found a kindred spirit in Naruto, and he could only hope Naruto would see the same thing in time and not hurt her.  
  
He more or less fashioned himself as some sort of a brother figure to Hinata. A silent and reliable pillar of warmth she could come to rest her heavy soul upon without fear of needing to give something in return or worry about its well being.   
  
It had become an enjoyable new type of friendship for Shino. He honestly cherished the knowledge that Hinata trusted him enough to bear the burden of her heart and soul to him in hopes of finding solace within any words he might have.  
  
Reaching out he took her smaller hand within his and gave it a gentle squeeze. He knew she would blush, it was an intimate type of touch but he could tell already her spirits were beginning to lift from his reassurance. "There is no more need to worry Hinata, they are safe and recuperating at the Hospital guarded closely by Kakashi, Asuma, Gai, and Kurenai-sensei on and off. Right now we only need to have high spirits, in case they might need to draw from our own to replenish theirs."  
  
"Thank you Shino." Her smile was the only response he needed but she spoke her thanks anyways. The darkness was gone from her face and the soft light returned to her misted gray eyes. She slowly withdrew her hand as she began to push her index fingers together. Her nervous habit, meaning she was debating on whether or not to say something.   
  
Lowering his hand back into his pocket, he watched the concentration in Hinata's eyes for just a few moments before deciding to ask about what was now on her mind.  
  
"You seem to be lost in thought again Hinata, anything you care to talk about?" the rain slowly began to come to stop around them as she slowly raised her eyes to meet his.   
  
"I was just wondering," her cheeks became a gentle shade of pink, which could mean anything he had learned, "why are you out here Shino?"  
  
His smile went unnoticed under his large coat, "Just thinking Hinata, that's all."   
  
He looked around as the rain slowly died down to a gentle mist. "You should hurry on, I am sure Naruto is waiting for his Ramen." Glancing back at Hinata he noticed her fingers still fidgeting. Her eyes were downcast and a sudden sad look crossed her features. So she did have more to say.  
  
The thought entered his mind as a fact but he voiced it in a question, "Hinata, if you have anything else on your mind that you wish to share…"  
  
"I…I'm glad that you did not go with them Shino."  
  
Confusion quickly passed through his mind as he reached up to rearrange his glasses.  
  
"Kiba told me that they looked for you…to go with them. But you were out with your father that day." She trembled slightly, "I…I probably would have gone crazy if both you and Kiba were brought back to the village in such shape…" Her voice cracked as the dam that held her emotions was flooded over.  
  
"Hinata please do not get so upset over this matter." He spoke as calmly as he could, "Listen, if I had been there I would have gone with them..."  
  
"I know Shino…" she cut him off while wiping her damp, smoke colored eyes with the back of her hand, "it was a mission given directly from Hokage-sama." A small smile played across her saddened features as she rose to find Shino's eyes. "I'm just glad that you were there for me that day…that's all."  
  
He gave her slow nod as his response. Finding that no words could describe how glad he was to have truly helped Hinata through such a rough time. Kiba had been unconscious a long time, and Kurenai-sensei was ordered on missions at a blinding pace just like all the other Jounin.   
  
So only he was left to make sure Hinata would be all right. Hell, he knew she would not receive any type of support at her own home.  
  
"Thank you again," another smile braced her features as it actually managed to reach her eyes, "for everything Shino."  
  
A quick readjustment of his shades was the only answer she received before she went on her way to the hospital.  
  
Turning back to the gentle mist that flowed so effortlessly through the immense forest he let out a small sigh of contentment. Truly it was days like these that were overly kind to him, days that made him think of the future for once instead of just the present.  
  
It was such comforting feeling… 


	2. To Reminisce

  
  
Gentle Memento  
  
Chapter 2  
  
To Reminisce   
  
Content, yes this feeling is definitely contentment. A gentle wind like a mothers soft caress, taking away such silly fears one might have had about things lurking in the dark. The dew ridden grass a true comfort that kings had sought to find for so long. Only to never realize it was right underneath their feet.  
  
A sarcastic smile found its way across his relaxed features as he thought about how foolish everything really was. Did sitting back and enjoying ones thoughts seem so outlandish? He might have been looked at as someone of vast laziness but at least he knew how to truly be. Yes he was content for once, if not totally with where his life was going, but to be his self.  
  
His narrow eyes watched the clouds as if they were the only things to matter. They were a source of unimaginable comfort if only one could truly look at them like he did. Watching them slowly roll across the sky weaving patterns to intrigue the mind into forgetting. "It's like drinking alcohol except not having to put up with the hangover." He said this once to try to make his team understand why he was always out here. They failed to understand and ridiculed him for being a lazy good-for-nothing.  
  
But why should he care what they thought? They were just nuisances for the most part. Always trying to get him to do better then he wanted, trying to make him complete goals he never wanted to set. And look where it had led him.  
  
Glancing down at his flak jacket he scowled.  
  
Oh yes, being a Chuunin was great! With all the extra missions, extra training, and extra lectures. So much fun it was enough to drive Shikamaru nearly insane. This was not what he wanted. He hated to be singled out, hated to be different. And he had just reasons to be, look at how being singled out made him!  
  
He had never been more tired mentally or physically…ever! And what was it all for? Why had he tried so hard to win some stupid match for some stupid goal he didn't want? A serious frown snaked its way to the surface before he could stop it. There had been a reason for him to push forward…  
  
Ino…  
  
Women, oh how he hated them so much. Such troublesome creatures they were. How they could push their way into you and control you so subtly. Just how deep Ino had securely placed herself in Shikamaru was unnerving. He hated the feelings he had for her. Hated it because she never answered his feelings, and yet some how dug herself deeper into him. Hated it because of the other feelings it drove up.  
  
His face scrunched up at the remembrance of it, the tight knots in his stomach, the selfish rage that built up, the temporary loss of logic; all coming from the utterance of one name.  
  
He found the thought of hating someone who did nothing to him completely futile. And yet every time she uttered his name he had to force himself to remain neutral. Hell could she not see how much it tore him up on the inside every time she would say that one name like she did!  
  
No, of course not. Ino was selfish, had always been selfish when they were kids. Heavens forbid she actually grow up. He had tried so hard to go out of his way to impress her, but even then it wasn't enough to dethrone the ruler of her dreams. And it was when he came to this conclusion that he decided he didn't care anymore.   
  
So much pain, oh god did he feel so much pain when he finally forced Ino out of his body. He had wanted to cry, his eyes had showed as much, but he couldn't…not in the middle of the Finals.  
  
He remembered the startled look on Temari as he approached her. She could see it in his eyes; he couldn't hide it as much as he tried. Confusion was all she managed to show through the haze of emotions running rampant in her head. He had closed his eyes to try and regroup himself, but only managed to turn his saddened eyes into a frown of disappointment.  
  
"That's it…I give up." Yes those were the words he used to end it all. And then came the surprise of Temari's reaction. She wasn't relieved, but her eyes shone with anger. He didn't dwell on it long before he gave his excuse for giving up.  
  
"The continuous use of the Shadow Copy No Jutsu has used up all of my Chakra. I can barely bind you for ten more seconds." He had scoffed at himself mentally. Yes, he had enough Chakra to finish her in various different ways, but he saw no point. All he wanted to do was leave, go home, and hopefully have things return to normal.  
  
But to maintain some of his pride as a man he decided to rub it in her face how far ahead he actually was, "I had though up about two-hundred more moves but…it looks like I'm out of time."  
  
He released his Shadow Copy from her and was happy at the look of disgust upon her face. She had been shaken as the thought that someone as worthless as he was able to read her as well as any children's book. Her emotions were masked effectively but she was trying to hide something from a true champion of secrecy. Sometimes he could even fool himself into believing the emotion he portrayed. Many times he had to look into the mirror to determine what emotions he was really feeling.  
  
At the end of their brief stare down he feigned his fatigue with a simple gesture. He rubbed his shoulder in an attempt to look like he was alleviating some tense muscle pain while declaring "Man…I'm tired." It had been so 'Shikamaru-ish' as Ino would put it, that no one truly questioned his forfeit.  
  
Gazing at the clouds he felt himself grow calm once more. Remembering that whole ordeal always made him upset. Hell that day in general reminded him of what a pile of crap his life was forced into. It also reminded him very clearly of the pain. Not from his battle with Temari, but from the loss of part of his heart.  
  
Reminded him clearly of his 'attempt' at suicide…  
  
They were being trailed by nine enemy shinobi on their way to help Sasuke. Konoha had just erupted into chaos as the Sound and Sand-nin attacked during the Gaara and Sasuke match. Everyone within the stadium was put to sleep through some Gen-jitsu, and so he too feigned to be asleep rather than bother getting beat thoroughly by far superior shinobi.  
  
And yet he was forced to quit faking and come along on an obvious suicide mission. Three Genins facing a monster should be more then enough to classify it as suicide. And yet, to make it all worse, they were being followed by two groups of enemy shinobi.  
  
Remembering the whole speech as to why he should be the one to stall them brought a smirk to his face. Yes logically speaking he was the best one to keep them busy, but it had gone deeper than that. He was afraid…truly afraid of Gaara for one thing. Not wishing to see that freakish murderer, he chose the lesser of the two evils in his mind.  
  
Still…he felt the pain thrive within him. God why did it have to feel so horrible? Had she really meant all that much to him?  
  
Yes…  
  
And in the end where did all his efforts leave him? Second…he would always be second compared to Sasuke. And he just couldn't live with that.  
  
He used what inner strength he had left to put on a happy face for them before he left. The grin he had made him feel sick from how fake it truly was. Facing away from them he began to leap to his doom. His only thought being that of how good it would feel to finally be rid of this terrible hurt and to be one with the clouds.  
  
Using some simple tricks he successfully managed to drag them off the trail of the others, and soon had them trapped within his Shadow Copy No Jutsu. He knew he hadn't trapped the ninth one, but had hoped he had enough stamina to trap him and prolong his eminent death for just a little bit longer.  
  
When it failed and he felt himself rapidly losing what was left of his chakra; he could only look toward the sky and reflect upon what he hoped his life to be. He jested about how he was supposed to be a so-so shinobi with an ok salary. How he was supposed to marry a girl who was neither a beauty nor a hag, but secretly hoping Ino would once prove him wrong. He would have a daughter first and then a son, or so he had planned. And when his daughter had married and his son was independent he was going to retire. He tried to smile at this happy image, but he couldn't. Mental and physical fatigue finally hit him hard and all he could manage was a tired smirk. After he retired he would play shinobi all day and live a relaxed life, and finally he would die of old age before his wife.  
  
This was what he hoped for; this was his absolute dream. And now it would only remain a dream. He scoffed as he realized he had been trying his best, which was completely unlike him. The last thought he had before his chakra gave out was 'I really did such a tiresome thing here…' which had reflected on more than just his current predicament.  
  
That final conclusion made him regret his choice to stall them and to give up his life. So what if Ino would never love him like she did Sasuke. His dream pictured a woman that was neither a beauty nor a hag, and certainly Ino was a beauty. Then it all finally hit him. This was it; he was going to die right here, right now.  
  
And it had scared him more than anything…  
  
But if he had died there he wouldn't be able to reflect on such things now would he? Thankfully Asuma had caught up just in time to rescue him. But it didn't help; the fear of what could have happened plagued his mind. He had collapsed to the ground from what would appear as fatigue. Which would only have been half correct.  
  
Oh god he was afraid, his life could have ended right there had not Asuma come. He began to shake violently as his highly advanced mind pictured every way they would have killed him. Asuma had approached him with such a concerned face, not unlike a father who was looking down upon their dieing son. His very last memory of that day was throwing himself into Asuma and bawling like some child who had lost everything before he finally blacked out from exhaustion.  
  
The events of that day still haunted his dreams at night sometimes, but not nearly as much as they had. He remembered for the first week after it was all he could do to barely live let alone go to practice or do anything remotely considered normal for him. If one could stare into oblivion then he had certainly done it while being curled up in a protective ball on his bed.  
  
Asuma had come in on various occasions to check up on him. Every time he would tell Shikamaru of how much Ino and Chouji wanted to check in on his well being. But he refused, pure and simple, and Asuma would take it with a sad nod of his head.  
  
Finally one day the door to his room had busted open. Ino stood there with her typical angry face on, while Chouji had his arms locked around her in an obvious attempt to stop her from coming. Ino was about to go on one of her bossy rants when she had finally got a good look at him  
  
His eyes had dark bags under them from days of absolutely no rest. The long black hair he had normally put into something akin to a ponytail now hung rigid against his shoulders. His clothes were dirty from the cold sweat that would accompany him any time he would try to sleep. On top of it all, he was trembling slightly as if afraid of their very presence.  
  
Ino's face faltered almost immediately as she ran at top speed to rap him up in a tight hug; questions being flung at him as fast as her mouth could possibly move. She pulled back once more to look at him, hoping that what she had saw at the door was just an illusion but upon seeing the tear stains down his dirty face and the fresh tears about to spill her normal composure broke as she began to sob into his chest.  
  
"God Shikamaru what happened to you?!" she whispered in-between sobs, "Asuma just told us that you wanted rest from your match and that you deserved it!" her hug triggered such unwanted emotions, he wanted to push her away as much as he wanted to return it. So he did the only thing his disheveled mind could do at that moment, and that was to put his head on her shoulder and show her how weak he really was.  
  
He remembered her reaction to his tears so clearly. How she franticly rubbed his hair so soothingly, how she hugged him so tightly he couldn't breath. He wanted to grasp onto her, cling to her to show her how much he needed her but he couldn't…he just couldn't. Her warm breath had felt so good against his skin as she whispered to him how it was all going to be ok. But he knew it wouldn't. He knew things would never be the same. For Konoha, or the feelings he had for her.  
  
His mind had made its decision, and thusly it made a final conclusion. One that hurt so much when she was so near that he wished he could take it all back. But its…his decision never wavered.  
  
Ino would never be his…so why fight to continue to hope? So she shed tears for him now, how many had she already shed for Sasuke? When all he could hope to achieve from their current relationship was pain and jealousy then why was trying worth it?  
  
He sat up, finally taking his eyes away from the clouds that seemed to have turned their backs on him. Where his comfort should have been only came memories of his pain. Mumbling about how stupid it all was he suddenly went completely quiet.  
  
A footfall…  
  
---------------------------  
  
Sorry to all you ShikaIno fans out there but I like having a really good challenge and a relationship between Shikamaru and Temari would be quite an undertaking. Plus there is hardly any of those anywhere. Now don't get me wrong, the ShikaIno coupling is great and I have read some sweet fics out there with them, this is just something I want to do.  
  
The next chapter will go to back to Shino so I can build into his relationship with Hinabi, which is going to be quite a pain in the butt -.- 


	3. Epiphany Part One

  
  
Gentle Memento  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Epiphany - Part One  
  
"Shino-kun?" asked a small, hesitant voice within the walls of a dimly lit silent room. It was painted in a light pink giving it a reluctant beige look in the evening light. The only object in the room other than a small yet comfortable looking bed was a vanity in one corner.   
  
It was a small oak desk with a mirror and had various untouched utensils used to enhance ones outer beauty strewn about the top. Around the rest of the room lay various organized stacks of books and scrolls.  
  
In front of the vanity on a small chair was a downcast body. Dark hair jetted out from its appropriate place upon his scalp as nearly all the rest of his body was hidden underneath a large over-coat with an equally large brim.  
  
"Hm…Shino-kun?" came the gentle, reluctant voice again. This time she received a quick response in the form of the limp body sitting up straight. Slowly he turned his head toward the doorway and the voice calling to him.  
  
"Hinata you should not be…"  
  
"I know, I know," he was quickly cut off, "but I had to make sure they were alright."  
  
It was laughable really, but he was never one to be in a humorous mood. The day she went to visit Naruto in the hospital proved to be a bad day indeed…besides the fact it had been raining non-stop for almost a week.   
  
Well he supposed it was the fact that she had been walking outside in the rain every other day that had caused it. But non-the-less she was now supposed to be in bed, and resting to overcome her current illness.  
  
Kurenai-sensei had told him to keep watch of her whenever she could not herself. And so here he was. He was not one to sleep on the job, but the past few days he had worked himself just a bit too much.   
  
Shaking his head, he quickly got up and headed toward her. "The little ones are fine Hinata." Another thing nearly laughable was Hinata and her flowers. She cared so much for those flowers and yet told no one a thing about why.   
  
Then again the entire reason he was not laughing at her antics was the thought that perhaps all she had to do here was either train, read, or talk with her 'little ones' as he had come to call them.  
  
"Come now, lets get you back into bed." He shifted his glasses as he walked forward to help her back into bed. Guessing from why she woke him up he judged that she had used probably all her strength to drag herself to those flowers.   
  
Carefully he put an arm around her and was rewarded with something he could truly smile at; her flushed face. Hinata's bashfulness would never cease to amaze him. In a time such as the one they lived in, someone like Hinata was indeed special.  
  
Before he finished putting her into bed he caught onto a peculiar feeling. It was a gentle, numb feeling across his back that he had learned to associate with being watched. Turning toward the door he found nothing there.  
  
"Um…ah…Shino-kun?" he turned from the door to find her looking down at her blankets. On a further observation, he noticed her covers move around her hands, which could only mean one thing.  
  
Her nervous habit was almost as bad as his.  
  
Readjusting his shades he sat back down in her chair by the vanity. "Yes Hinata?" Instead of a direct answer like he had hoped he found her fumbling around with her sheet. Well he could count that as an answer.   
  
Even during their time on missions he found it a semi-amusing game to try and guess what Hinata wanted when she was acting like she did. He had been at her home a lot more often lately as Kurenai-sensei kept on getting called back out, which was another reason why he had been so tired.  
  
In the end all it really took was some general observational skills, but then again people these days have little to no patience unlike those of the Aburame. He hated to say it, but in truth he could read her like an open book made for children. Judging by the lateness in the afternoon, and the fact she had just used up her strength he made his call.  
  
"Dinner will be prepared soon then."  
  
It always made him want to laugh. The look she would give him after he guessed her thoughts. She would try to play off her surprise and suspicion through a thankful smile but her eyes always told a different story. Oh, he had no doubt she was thankful, but she always had hidden thoughts that she never voiced.  
  
Naruto would indeed be lucky…if he was smart.  
  
Getting up from his spot upon her small vanity chair, Shino quietly went and tucked her in before leaving.  
  
The Hyuuga family household was enormous, truly something worthy of such an esteemed clan as theirs. But, at the risk of sounding like Shikamaru, Shino found it "bothersome" to navigate through all the corridors and side houses just to get something as simple as a small meal. What is even more surprising is the lack of servants in this part of the house.  
  
Well…maybe it is not so surprising…  
  
Gritting his teeth he quickly forced himself to calm from the sudden rush of anger. Although it was suppressed as fast as he could, the bugs within already stirred from the intense feeling.  
  
"At least it is an appropriate anger." He mumbled to himself as he finally made it to the kitchen. Just like always it was empty, as if their breaks were timed for when Hinata was in need.  
  
That one took a little longer to suppress.  
  
Deciding she needed something warm and soft he settled upon cooking a lovely meal of ramen. At least that was the only meal he properly knew how to make. Normally his father took care of preparing the proper meals.  
  
Thinking no more on the subject, he set the water to boil as he stood resting between the refrigerator and the counter. Rubbing the bridge of his nose he let out a sigh of a yawn. He really needed a good night of sleep instead of all this napping non-sense.  
  
Taking a deep breath he turned to look out a nearby window. The beautiful landscape around the Hyuuga home was enough to finally ease his parasites back into their slumber.  
  
He murmured softly, "Lovely on the outside…"  
  
The loud 'ding' noise from the stove kept Shino from thinking too much once again as he now had boiling water in which to cook Hinata's meal. Tearing open the packages the sensation returned.  
  
Quickly turning he found himself staring out the window once more. Calling forth one of his female bugs, he made sure it stayed near him in a small radius. He was indeed being watched…  
  
And he did not like it at all.  
  
Telling the female to stay alert, he returned to his previous task. Hinata came first, and then some answers later. Sighing, he quietly watched as the ramen cooked. Brows furrowed; the only thing on his mind was 'who and why?'  
  
Ok a minor fix to this chapter, sorry sorry sorry for the insanely long time between updates but I think my laziness and writers block has finally subsided. I had a long LONG time to think things through about the story and so I can finally bring you the rest of Gentle Memento. 


	4. Epiphany Part Two

This chapter finally introduces Kakashi to the mix, and will conclude Shino's part from last time. So the next chapter will conclude Shikamaru, and the one after that will pick up with Kakashi. Again SO sorry for the update time.

**Gentle Memento**  
  
Chapter 4  
  
_Epiphany – Part Two_

Shino was getting ready to head home. Hinata was peacefully sleeping away what was left of her illness, so he was no longer needed here. Standing up he felt all of his male insects begin to attract toward something…

And then the feeling came back.

It was just like the fight with Kankuro. Knowing where he was with out seeing. Feeling a pull in a direction, and knowing there is something waiting for you there. Although it had long since been an odd feeling, it was still left Shino's body with a slight tingle afterwards. Acting as if nothing was wrong, he slowly approached the doors leading out her room. Gaining a sense of direction from the males, he made his way toward what they felt.

Now normally being watched within such a clan would be expected, but he had talked to Hiashi with Kurenai-sensei. He had said that no harm would come to his daughter with some hidden passion that Hiashi had picked up on. As such, Hiashi had promised them that while inside the house they would not be watched. So did this mean Hiashi had gone back on his word?

Not likely…

It was probably just someone in the house, acting on his or her own accord. He knew a lot of the main house cared for Hinata (whether Hinata knew or not), but they were under strict order from Hiashi not to pry.

So who are they, and why are they going against Hiashi's order?

Walking out into the training area, Shino came to a halt. 'Yes, here is the perfect spot.' Making his way around toward the female bug would prove to be easy enough. Moving quickly and quietly among the shadows he soon found himself behind a small figure outside, intently watching his figure in the middle of the training area. Upon further notice of where he was it seemed to just be some low bushes a short distance from the house. Looking up he saw himself in the middle of the training area.

If he were one to smirk at his own victories, he would be doing so right now.

Mentally commanding the bug clone to fall apart, he watched the child intently. He heard a slightly audible gasp as the insects scattered on the ground, intent on finding their way back to him. Normally having a child following him would be passed as annoying, but Hiashi had ordered no one to pry.

So why didn't this one listen?

Watching the insect come closer to where he was, he noticed the child begin to back up.

Now he needed only to wait.

Sure enough, the person backed up right into him. Taking a step back, he watched in slight amusement as whoever it was quickly turned to face him. There was a slight amount of shock that passed over the little girls face, but it was quickly covered up. Then in his typical stoic manner he placed his hands in his pocket. His deep, rich voice relaying his question to the child.

"Who are you?"

The girls' eyes narrowed into nothing more than small gray slits. Her distrust for him radiated off her small body. She was wearing a sleeveless black training gi, with what appeared to be a mesh under shirt. Her jet-black hair fell straight down and was separated away from her face. He knew he had seen her before…but where?

"Hanabi?"

He spoke before his mind finalized the thought. Yes, he remembered she was there when they had talked to Hiashi. Hanabi was introduced as Hinata's younger sister. And from what he heard from Hinata, she was quite the prodigy.

Curiosity now drove his insides to tingle quite literally as the bug stirred around. "Hanabi why have you been following me?" Driven by his need for answer's he spoke. He watched as her face scrunched up in distaste.

"Because I do not trust you." She quietly seethed. Apparently still a bit miffed at being found out. She still had much to learn.

Shino tilted his head to the side, as he was known to do when analyzing a situation. "Why do you not trust me when even your father does?" her logic for distrusting must come from somewhere.

"Many people are after our family secrets, my sister being high on their list." Her cold eyes never once left his.

It was slightly unnerving…

Granted he had spent a lot of time with Hinata, she would never look you directly in the eyes for a long period. And if she did it would never harbor hate of any kind. Looking into the white orbs of Hanabi was quite a strange experience. Even without pupils he could clearly see the distrust and anger raging within her. It was like looking into smoke and seeing emotions.

Which was even weird for Shino.

Regardless he stared right back at her from behind his shades. It became apparent that it was not he she distrusted, but everyone outside of the family. Shino had heard about Hinata being kidnapped a few times when she was a child, and he also knew she was a prime target to many. But it was strange…

He had received thoughts that Hanabi might hate her sister. But it seems she cares for her at least a little. He had figured she felt about Hinata in the same way her father did.

He figured he could live with being wrong for once.

Hinata loved her sister; he knew this for a fact. She would practically glow when talking about all of Hanabi's accomplishments like they were her own. No jealously ever evident in her voice or appearance, just pride. It seemed strange to him that Hinata could care so greatly for the one that brought her so much pain. But where she should hold jealousy and malice, she held none.

He mentally shrugged, '_That is just Hinata…'_

Finally returning to the matter at hand, he decided to make Hanabi understand he was no threat to her sister. Although talking was something he rarely did, and even when he did it was usually something philosophical or metaphorical. Talking with Hinata and Kiba had helped his so-called 'people' skills quite a bit. So he decided to give it a shot.

"Hanabi, your sister is a very dear friend of mine. I would never wish or let any harm come to her." It was blunt, but it was the best he could do for now.

Apparently his best was not good enough.

She just continued to stare at him in the same way she had been. He realized she could not be swayed with just sugary words, so he opted to open up a bit toward her.

"Do you know of my clan, the Aburame?" he asked gently. He wanted her to understand, even if he would feel a bit of discomfort from doing so. Hinata did mean a lot to him, and he knew how much she cared for her little sister. It seemed reasonable enough to make sure Hanabi saw him as a good guy so that no further discomfort would come to Hinata.

She shook her head slightly 'no', never taking her eyes off him. "We are a solitary clan, meaning we tend to shy away from others. Our _gift_ upsets many people to the point of ridicule, so we hide away only opening up to those we sincerely care about."

He watched her eyes soften a bit as his words started hitting home. "I only have three friends Hanabi, and one happens to be Kurenai-sensei."

She became less tense.

"I would never risk loosing what I have between my teammates, I only wish for you to understand this." readjusting his glasses, Shino never took his eyes off of her. He knew she understood, but he was unprepared for the next question…

"If your clan only opens up to those you sincerely care about, then why open up to me like this?" her eyes began to narrow again. She had a valid point, but he already knew his answer.

Slowly fondling with his glasses once again, he calmly answered, "Hinata cares about you a lot Hanabi." He watched as her eyes scrunched up in confusion.

"But that does not…" she was silence by his hand.

"Because Hinata is such a close friend, I promised myself to protect her and all of which she cares about. In this way she will never have to endure more pain then she already has." A small smile graced his lips as he saw understanding widen her eyes.

"So to answer your question…it seems I am bound by my promise to protect you as well."

His smile faded and his brows furrowed when he noticed her scowl returning. So with a mental sigh he wondered '_what now?'_ and the insects stirred again.

-----------------------

Hurry…

He had to hurry…something was amiss. Something was dreadfully wrong, he could not only feel it but also smell it in the air. His legs burned from the forceful use of them after such a strenuous day. Aches and pains all over his body soon erupted in protest to his activity. But they did not matter to him at all. He had been trained to withstand much, much more. Besides, there is something big going down tonight…

And Obito has been missing…

-----------------------

Kakashi bolted straight up in his bed, eyes starring unfocused about the room. The cold sweat soaked his skin, and chilled him to bone. He had not had a dream in so long, let alone _that_ nightmare. Shaking his head to clear it, he began to take deep breaths to calm his racing heart.

After he had finally calmed down his mind gently asked him '_Why now?_' The thought leapt through his mind, running rampant through his memories. Running a hand through his ashen locks he sighed as he looked at the clock.

"I'm late again…"

Bitterness flooded him as he frowned at the pictures on his headrest.

'_Late for nothing._'

He was currently on a one-week rest break. Ever since the Sound/Sand attack he had been on constant active duty for months straight. Konoha's forces were still low but they had managed to even themselves out enough so that he could take a small rest. He new he was a very useful _tool_, and since he had no team to command he was put to _very _good use elsewhere.

_'Since I have no team to command…'_

_Naruto had come back from his rescue mission looking horrible just like all the others. His eyes had the most defeated look in them as he stumbled back into town. The only thing he said before passing out was, "Sorry Sakura." Sasuke has been gone for quite some time now, and Sakura is slowly wasting away…_

His eyes narrowed at the sinking feeling in his heart. He did _not_ need this! Getting up he slowly made his way out into the narrow hallway of his house. Kakashi's house was small, and gods forbid he uses the word '_cozy_' but that's just what it was to him. Sure he made an immensely good pay, especially for just one person.

But it still was _only_ one person. And this house was more then adequate enough for him.

Stretching, he began to scratch his chest as he made his way to the bathroom. At his sloth like pace he turned on the hot water and idly watched as the room slowly began to fill with steam. Removing the only garment he typically slept in, his boxers, he made his way into the comforting mist.

He let the flood of warmth cleanse his body, and after waking up like he did gods did it feel good. Wasting an ample amount of time in the shower, he finally managed to drag himself out of La la land long enough to get out. Drying himself off, he rapt a lime green towel around his waist and approached his sink. The slightly warm tiles gave off an odd sensation as he looked at himself in the mirror. Again he caught himself starring at _it_, at _his_ Sharingan. Sighing he finally began to brush his teeth.

It was going to be one of those days…

-----------------------

The ending was just so I could jump right into Kakashi's chapter later. As for Shino, we'll find out why Hanabi is so angry at another time =p Next chapter is the continuation of Shikamaru's so stay tuned!


	5. Infatuation

Wee, an actual quick update. I amaze even my self sometimes. Again, first and foremost I would like to thank everyone for the reviews (ego candy to some). And so now on with the story!

Gentle Memento  
  
Chapter 5  
  
**_Infatuation_**

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**__**

He could _not_ have heard her…

Frantic, yes that's the feeling she was experiencing. Like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights. There was no way he could have heard her! She was as graceful and beautiful as the wind itself!

Well in her mind at least…

'Hold your breath, don't move, and do not make a sound!' she chanted over and over in her head. Placing a hand over her chest, she was surprised to find her heart beating fast. Damn it, she had _not_ wanted to be caught watching him.

Her cheeks colored a bit at the thought of him finding out about her. How she had came to this spot from time to time just to watch him actually enjoy himself. Although she had only started coming out here around a couple of weeks ago, it had quickly (and oddly enough) become a hobby of hers.

Ever since he had told her after the whole Sasuke incident, that this was the only place he could actually enjoy himself.

Her face reddened as she thought about that day. Although she had come close to not being there on time, she had.

And she had thanked everything she knew for that.

Scowling, she remembered the look on Shikamaru's face just before she had appeared to help. Anguish, and fear marked his typically annoyed face as his hold on that weird flute bitch was dwindling. She, on the other hand, had the look of a fierce beast about to enjoy its tastey catch.

Oh how she enjoyed _swiping_ that look off her face!

Although he was _obviously_ glad she was there, he still had refused to let her do all the work. He could be such a pig head couldn't he? Her smile slowly returned at that. Granted she had told him that is was an order that she was there (which was true) she had actually wanted to go.

'Oh yes, I was just dying to set my eyes on him again.' She mused sadly to herself.

Ever since he had up-staged her horribly at the Chuunin exams, he had begun to infatuate her. Maybe it was the fact that she knew (and was damn sure he knew as well) that he could have won. Or perhaps it was his unusual lazy, 'I don't care' attitude that drove her nuts. Her brows furrowed.

'No…it was that all engulfing sadness in his eyes…'

He had prepped her on the situation, but she hadn't needed it. After a few rude remarks about how he was a "dim-wit" and was giving up again she had finally decided to take care of the situation.

It was laughable; the bitch couldn't even come close to touching her! Shikamaru just kept rambling on about this and that, like how "we wont have a single clue of when or where she will attack" and what not.

She mentally shivered at what he did next.

'He popped his damn finger back into place!' just imagining the feeling, and remembering the horrible 'click' sound it had made caused her to blanch.

But anyways, she was getting fed up with him spouting about them being at a disadvantage. So she just bit her thumb, did the required hand seals, summoned Kirikiri Mai, and totally stomped that stupid whores ass.

That and everything else for about fifty meters…

All of that was irrelevant to her though. It was what took place after that continued to draw her to him like a moth to a flame. She had turned around to smile at him, and saw the cutest dumbfounded look on his face. She idly thought about how he would get angry at her, or annoyed for showing off or being protected by a woman.

But he just smiled slightly, the warmth reaching his eyes. Just remembering that look made her body tingle and her face go crimson. He had even _thanked_ her! His actions had been so terribly confusing, and she hated being confused! It had been so unlike him, in everyway.

Not like she was a specialist on him or anything.

Still she found herself pondering days after the event, about everything she knew about him. She must have been thinking far too hard, because her brothers started to notice. Kankuro had been the first to bring it to her attention. Too deep in thought at the time, and a bit naïve enough to believe nothing of it, she had answered simply "Shikamaru".

Of course Kankuro had promptly broken out into laughter. He rolled on the ground sputtering things like "Temari likes the bum!" and "What exactly did you two _do_ out there?"

Another thing she despised was embarrassment!

He had made her out to be some bubbly schoolgirl, dreaming about her crush. And she was _not_ a bubbly schoolgirl!

'But what about the 'dreaming' part, eh?'

First things first, she was not falling for Shikamaru. Nope, not at all, it was impossible. What she was feeling was mere infatuation with something she could not understand. It was like building a puzzle to her. Trying to fit all the pieces together to make a whole. She wanted to know who the whole Shikamaru was.

And she _always_ completes her puzzles.

But now she was in trouble. She had been spying on him for just a few days, and no it was not based on a _need_ to see him! She wanted to view him for…research…

'Yeah that works…'

And now she had been caught! Damn, what would she say? Could she perhaps play it off as a chance encounter? No, he is far too smart to fall for that, and she was a terrible actor.

'Damn, damn, damn, what can I do?!'

"Ino?" she heard his tired voice call out.

"H…hi Shikamaru-kun." came another voice, this one much more feminine.

'Shikamaru…-kun?' she felt something tug at her heart.

And it hurt…

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Shikamaru was standing completely within a matter of moments. There were still plenty of people upset with Konoha, and the sooner one realized this the longer they got to keep breathing. Scanning the forest quickly he stopped when his eyes fell upon the maker of the noise.

"Ino?" he felt his face fall back into its typical scowl. He wasn't _that_ surprised. Actually he had been expecting her to come for some time.

She was so predictable…

"H…hi Shikamaru-kun." She timidly approached him.

Gods, he did not need this right now. He was not prepared in the least to deal with this _now_! Granted he had, had plenty of time while waiting for her to finally approach him, it just wasn't enough.

"What are you doing out here Ino?"

"I just thought…you know…that we could spend some time together?" her smile all but melted his resolve. But it was nowhere near enough to change his mind.

Even if his heart still protested its decision violently.

"Chouji could use some company in the hospital, why not go visit him?" Shikamaru's eyebrow arched upwards demanding an answer.

She idly walked over to him looking around the area. "He told me not to come here, that you were upset and needed to think about something."

His brows suddenly dove down, and his scowl deepened. "So why didn't you listen?" now he was confused.

"Because silly," she hung her head and sighed exasperatedly, "I want to help you with your problem."

He almost laughed at the terrible irony of it all…_almost_.

"Ino…trust me, there is nothing you can do to help." "Your only making things worse by being here.' he mentally added.

He watched her huff, knowing full well she was about to launch into full controlling boss mode at any moment.

The gods must really hate him.

"What the hell do you mean 'Nothing I can do to help'?!" she screeched at him. "If you think that I am going to just sit by and watch you fall apart again then…"

"Stop it!" Shikamaru shouted, interrupting her for trudging up those memories.

"Don't you dare for one minute think you understand what the hell is going on with me based on that one moment!" he had way past enough. He did not want her here, did not want her acting like she knew exactly what was wrong, and certainly did no want her bringing up that time in his life!

She stood rooted to the spot, trying to remember a time when Shikamaru had actually screamed at _anything_ in anger.

She came up with nothing.

"Tell me," she heard him seethe, "how much did your heart ache when you heard that Sasuke had disappeared?"

"I…" she fumbled for words.

"Do you have any damn idea what the hell I was put through to try and bring his worthless ass back here?!" this was it, he was finally having a meltdown. He had too much on his chest, too much on his mind. Shikamaru had been holding this back his entire life.

And he was surprised that it felt so good to finally let go.

"First was Chouji, my best friend! I had to leave him to take on an Elite Jounin, one that was a personal guard of _Orochimaru_! He had no chance, Ino do you understand? If he died, I would have taken the blame fully upon myself!" gods how that thought still scared him, and haunted dreams.

"Neji was next to leave us, he stayed back so that we could press forward." He stared at her flabbergasted expression, "I don't know Neji that well, but you saw what he looked like when he came back. The large holes in his chest, the endless amounts of cuts, can you even imagine going through that Ino?"

His voice cracked…

"Yet we still continued, Kiba soon took off trying to rescue Akamaru luring one of them away, and then I helped Naruto get passed the only one left there so that he could go after some guy and Sasuke." His voice began to quiet down as he began to recite the events that had occurred to him. "The person I fought laughed at me for choosing to sacrifice my teammates one by one. But I trusted them Ino, they _wanted_ to fight. The only thing I could do was trust them."

"An…and what happened to you…Shikamaru?" the blond asked nervously. She watched as his face adopted a lost look to it.

It was a horrible look on Shikamaru.

Horrible because the only time she ever saw it on him was the one time he nearly left her and Chouji.

It was the face he had in his room the day she found him.

"I fought as best as I could. I was forced to remember some ridiculous finger movements because I'm not musically inclined." And, he had found out later, he had memorized her patters so perfect that he could replay them on a flute.

But the only time he actually played the tones, it gave him a migraine.

"I finally tricked her into getting close enough so that my Ninpo: Kage Kubi Shibari No Jutsu would work at its strongest. I remember breaking my own finger," he stopped to look at his left index finger, "to get out of one of her Genjutsu."

He grinned as he recalled his shining moment of the battle, the one where he should have been able to finish everything off. Nice and clean just like that.

But luck seemed to never be on his side during these life or death battles by himself.

"I had it all worked out, my only fault was in miss reading her true power." He hung his head as the memory of starring at the monsterous woman while his shadow slowly gave way to her immense power. The icy breath of death still lingered on his neck every time he remembered, causing him to shiver involuntarily. "Once again I thought I was done for…but someone came and saved me right as my time was about up."

"I had heard the sand-nin from the Chuunin exam were sent after you guys." Ino started, trying to break him from his reverie. "So who came and saved you? Was it that sand freak that beat Lee, because honestly…"

"It was the annoying girl I fought in the finals." He stopped her before she could rant more on one of his newer friends.

It still seemed odd to be building a friendship with Gaara, the only person he had ever labeled 'monster' for his crimes against humanity. But Gaara just proved to him that everything can change, hell in his case some things can do complete fricken 180's in a matter of days.

"Oh…"

He noticed she wore a confused look, while something dark flashed across her eyes. Noticing this Shikamaru became confused him-self, but before he could ask she began to speak.

"So what? She came and defeated a severely weakened opponent and took all credit from you. At least she managed to drag your lazy ass from a sticky situation. Guess I could credit her for that."

'Haughty, why the hell was she acting haughty?' Shikamaru could almost swear he felt Temari's rage at Ino's words.

"Ino, my opponent was hardly 'severely weakened' and she still managed to beat her in one blow!" this was ridiculous. He knew that this was just Ino being Ino, but trying to say Temari did nothing was just crazy! Shikamaru knew damn well how close he cut it that day, and had actually thanked Temari for her help. She had indeed earned his respect. Putting aside what happened at the Finals, they had gotten along pretty well on the trek back to Konoha.

As a matter of fact, he had gotten along well with all three of the sand-nin. Life just loved to surprise him with crap like that.

"She just got lucky, that's all. Seriously you think about things too intensely Shikamaru-kun."

'She tacked that endearment on again. How bothersome…the only person she ever added that to was Sasuke.' His scowl returned full force at that thought.

So he had finally become the replacement.

"Why are you calling me 'Shikamaru-kun' Ino?" it felt like there was a endless void in his stomach that his heart was slowly beginning to sink into.

She stopped mid-ramble as his question reached her ears. Ino just raised a brow as her face scrunched up. "Why are you questioning that? You should be honored! You know I don't go around adding that to just anyones name!"

"You only ever added that to Sasuke." He deadpanned.

"Eh…?" her face contorted into confusion again. "What are you getting at Shikamaru-kun?"

He turned his back to her, his anger mixing with his sadness to slowly form a deadly concoction in his soul.

"Ino, go home, and don't ever call me that again…please…" his emotions were going crazy. At first he felt like throttling her, now he just felt like crying. As was evident in his plea for her to just leave him be.

But Ino could sometimes be harder in the head then even him.

"But…Shikamaru-k…"

"I said don't ever call me that again!" he seethed. Ok, so now the anger was returning. He could still feel his heart dropping…no, not dropping; it was like it was slowly sliding downward. Down into the abyss that was his stomach. It was slowly becoming the most unbearable pain he had ever had the _pleasure_ to endure.

She stood in front of him, wide eyed and thoroughly confused. 'I guess it makes sense', Shikamaru thought sourly, 'she actually believes that I'm still tagging along behind her.'

"I don't understand…" Ino said weakly.

"Please, just leave Ino." He found himself slowly walking back toward the hill that he had been laying on. He could hear Ino's soft retreat back into the forest, slightly glad that she had not continue to push the subject. Mentally exhausted, he found himself falling to his hands and knees at the crest of the hill. His body argued with him over whether or not he was going to cry.

Gods, he was such a wuss…this situation had become quite bothersome.

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Temari had remained still through the entire conversation. Her first thoughts were that the girl had been…well…his significant other. And that thought had made her angry, sad, and vengeful all at the same time. 

'Only because she tried to underestimate me!' Temari tried to argue to herself. 'But that didn't happen until later in the conversation.' She found her brows knit together as her mind tried to sort through what just happened, and the strange emotions she felt during their exchange.

It just didn't make sense to her. That girl, Ino, seemed to be quite smitten over Shikamaru, but he had cast her away.

Which strangely caused her a lot of relief.

And now, there he was, in the one place he had told her he felt happy and content, looking as if he was about to cry his eyes out. Her sudden realization of the current situation made Temari's stomach knot painfully. 'This place', she stopped to take a look around, 'was supposed to be his sanctuary.'

She looked over to the huddled form of Shikamaru from her position behind a tree as his body quivered. Unconsciously, she took a step forward. Now in her defense, she was just so confused over what had just occurred, and more then a little concerned for Shikamaru that she _instinctually_ made that step.

_Crack_

Fate seemed to love her sometimes; that well placed twig being one of those times. Slowly looking up her breath caught and her heart skipped a beat.

Shikamaru was looking dead at her.  
  
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Another chapter down, up next is Kakashi and his little bouts with depression and a weird girl who likes snakes. Ino will return, her and Shikamaru have unfinished buisness. In his next installment, Shikamaru will have a heart to heart with Temari. Stay tuned!


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